a

ina's artfully tear-streaked one. He was trapped, and

e cracking with the last shred of hope I had left.

pushed her, her ankle twisting unnaturally. She collapsed against the edge

Are you

lunged toward her, his body moving with a protective ins

confession could. It was his choice,

ally looked up at me, but his expression wasn't one of guilt.

e from my throat. "Push her? Eva

tted, his voice low and strained. "I helped her hide it.

mean for it

e in my frozen heart. I pointed a tre

oss the pristine garden. "What about my child? Wa

saw a few of the household staff peering from the wi

r. "Ara, stop making a scene," he hisse

ike poison. "In your eyes, my entire worl

part to perfection. "Evan, it's all my fault

self-sacrifice that only made Evan hold her tigh

e, and the warmth that I had known my whole l

s voice cold and s

b. The vibrant colors of the garden faded to gray. The

al. Years of love, of shared dreams, of a future I though

n front of the other, my body feeling impossibly heavy, and walk

faint, conflicted sound, but I d

d. The world outside was bright and indifferent-a perfect C

ayed on a lo

re

d her h

mean for it

eyes when he chose her. The years of love, the nursery, the names we'd picked-all o

audition, let the only dream I'd ever had wither while I played the perfect wife. I

is face, his name, whether he was cruel or just careless. My child was growing inside me, and

I knew nothin

e right. I couldn't think. My feet kept moving but I didn't know where I was going. My mind was a blank

Didn't hear the engine. Didn't see the blind

red, loud

asphalt was the last

d saw only the blinding glare

me to scream, n

lt my body lift off the ground, weightless and br

nbearable pain shot from my abdomen, spread

tness spreading between

raphina, or the betrayal. It was a single, despe

bab

d of a car door slamming. The wor

e was only